You should plan and prepare for your retirement early. There are many advantages to doing this well in advance, including the following.
Investments made more in advance often yield much more
If you start putting money in retirement accounts and similar savings plans you can often make much more in the long run. The way that the money grows makes it worthwhile to put in money as soon as possible. By planning early you can start to think about these things. You might want to consider speaking to a financial advisor who can help you start to plan for your retirement. If you start early enough you might not have to put so much in at one time but then it will keep accumulating so that you will be set when you are ready to retire. You are less likely to get to the point that you are panicked that you do not have enough money.
You want to be sure to have enough money for your retirement
Life is not always cheap when we retire. You income may go down significantly yet you are still going to have many of the same costs. In many cases you will have a lot more costs, especially if you need the services of a senior living center, assisted living center or a nursing home, each of which can cost thousands of dollars a month. Going back to work might not be an option at that point either, thus what you have coming in might be it. You do not want to get stuck at that point and not be able to afford what you need. Medical expenses might be hefty as well.
Also, you may have had a lot of dreams for your retirement such as a small condo overlooking a lake or a chance to travel. After all of your hard work you want to be able to have enough money to do these things. When you plan early for your retirement you can see where you are as well as where you want to be. At that point if it looks like you are not going to have enough money to do what you want to do then it will still be early enough to change things by switching jobs, spending less, finding a way to earn more, investing more wisely, etc. By planning early, you are more likely to be where you want to be since you can correct any problems.
It is important to be well-prepared for retirement. Consider planning far in advance to aid you in this.